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Screenplay Plot Structure

Screenplay Plot Structure. Syd Field. Brief Bio: Born Dec. 19, 1935 in Hollywood, California Attended University of California, Berkley Taught screenwriting at the University of Southern California

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Screenplay Plot Structure

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  1. Screenplay Plot Structure

  2. Syd Field Brief Bio: • Born Dec. 19, 1935 in Hollywood, California • Attended University of California, Berkley • Taught screenwriting at the University of Southern California • Wrote and produced the television series Men in Crisis, Hollywood and the Stars, National Geographics and Jacques Cousteau’s Specials • Died Nov. 17, 2013 Established an outline for the “Three Act Structure”

  3. Field’s Three Act Structure Act I • Film's plot within the first twenty to thirty minutes. • The protagonist experiences a plot point, providing the protagonist with a goal. • About half of a movie's running time focuses on the protagonist's struggle to achieve this goal. Act II The second act is called the confrontation. • On or around page 60 of a 120-page screenplay.  • This turning point is a reversal of the protagonist's fortune.  Act III • The third act depicts the protagonist's struggle to achieve (or not achieve) his or her goal, as well as the aftermath.

  4. Blake Snyder Brief Bio: • Born October 3, 1957 • Screenwriter, Consultant, Author, Educator • Based in Los Angeles • Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need • Details the Hero’s Journey • Died August 4, 2009

  5. Blake Snyder’s Beats using the Hero’s Journey Act I Thesis/Introduction • Opening image • Set up • Theme Stated • Catalyst • Debate • PLOT POINT 1 Break in two Act II Antithesis/Complication • B story • The promise of the premise • Midpoint • Bad guys close in • All is lost • Dark night of the soul • PLOT POINT 2 Break into three • Act III • Synthesis/Resolution • Finale • Final Image

  6. Thesis/Introduction Suggested Page (#) • 1. Opening Image (1): • The opening image should reflect the theme or overall struggle In some way. • 2. Set-Up (1-10): • Expand on the opening image and present the main character's broken world.  The existence should be such that if the main character were to stay in this state, he/she would figuratively die. See the hero living in three places, work, home, and play using a beat for each card. • 3. Theme Stated (5): • What the hero learns. Usually stated explicitly by the main character or in the main character’s presence but they will not understand it until they have gone on the journey • 4. Catalyst (12): • The moment that sparks or forces the main character into action. This is two beats, the event and the hero’s extreme response. • 5. Debate (12-25): • Hero doubts his or her own ability. Denies the call to action at first. The debate can happen in two beats located in two of the three places of the set-up. • 6. PLOT POINT Break into Two (25): • Main character makes a choice to go on the journey and enters the upside-down world

  7. Antithesis (Complication) • 7. B Story (30): • A discussion about the theme. This often happens with a love interest. • 8. Promise of the Premise/Fun and Games (30-55):  • The fun part of the story where new powers are wielded, and the new lord of the journey is explored in an enjoyable way. • 9. Midpoint (55): • The largest plot twist of the movie forcing the hero to reevaluate and essentially start anew. Sometimes it is the B story that forces the turn of events. It could also be caused by the introduction of a sudden eminent deadline. The hero must recommit to the struggle. • 10. Bad Guys Close In (55-75): • A new and overwhelming set of obstacles for the hero. The main character's gifts are of no use. Often a team is dispersed or there is a betrayal. (Height of B story connection often takes place here at page 60.) • 11. All Is Lost (75): • The low point of the main character’s journey. The main character has lost more than he would have if the journey had not taken place. • 12. Dark Night of the Soul (75-85): • After hitting rock bottom, the main character realizes truths and understands what they could not at the start of the journey.   • 13. PLOT POINT Break into Three (85): • Immediately following the realizations of the Dark Night of the Soul, new information provided by the B story which rekindles the hero’s ability to fight again and presents the final goal the Hero must accomplish.

  8. Resolution/Synthesis • 14. Finale (85-110): • Main character confronts antagonist or antagonistic forces and uses ideas from the theme and context of the B story in order to fight. Here the story is resolved one way or another. The hero should get what they want or what they need or both. • Snyder’s work Save the Cat Strikes Back breaks the finale into 5 parts • Gathering the Team—reconfiguring the team after the events of the dark night of the soul • Storming the castle—plan seems to be working and minor character flaws are fixed  • The high tower Surprise—apparent failure of the plan • Dig deep down—the hero tries something new • Execution of the new plan—the new plan works • 15. Final Image (110): • Opposite of Opening image indicating the change that has taken place.

  9. Beat Cards • Beat cards are descriptions of action in brief 2 to 3 sentences written in the same concise style of log lines. • These are used to map out the action of a story as well as to specify and streamline the story. • If the story is too ambiguous to define in log line format, then it needs more planning.  The process of forcing the action into concise beats solves problems early on in the writing.  Know where you are going. Write before you write.

  10. Beat Card ExerciseBuild the actions of your movie in 40 beats (or less) • Use Blake Snyder’s act categories to map out your screenplay. • Determine what the Finale and Midpoint are prior to writing out the beats. • Streamline the language of the beats prior to putting them on the cards, then arrange the cards to fit the format of the three-act structure. Difficulty in the task is good in that it helps identify problems. Arrange the Cards into four rows: • 10 Beat Cards for Act I • First row of ten cards ends in PLOT POINT 1 • 20 Beat Cards for Act II (midpoint roughly splits the cards) • Third row of ten ends in PLOT POINT 2 • 10 Beat Cards for Act III • Final Row ends with the Final Image

  11. Sources and References • https://www.savethecat.com/ • http://www.beatsheetcalculator.com/ • https://sydfield.com/ • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syd_Field • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_Snyder • Field, Syd. Screenplay: the Foundations of Screenwriting. Delta Trade Paperbacks, 2005. • Snyder, Blake. Save the Cat!: the Last Book on Screenwriting Youll Ever Need. Michael Wiese Productions, 2005.

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